Parents' Guide to

Then Came You

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Charming stars save clichéd story; some drinking, sex.

Movie NR 2019 97 minutes
Then Came You Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

age 12+

Uplifting

Good family entertainment that covers real life issues.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (4):

Talented young performers rescue this "dying teen" story from being a purely predictable, tear-jerking coming-of-age drama. Williams' Skye is a classic Manic Pixie Dream Girl, with her exuberant chutzpah, colorful hair, and doe-eyed persuasiveness. But she seems to exist solely to motivate withdrawn, reclusive Calvin to get outside his head and not let life pass him by -- because some people, like Skye, don't have a lot of life left to enjoy. Several times, the movie makes it seem that, despite Calvin's crush on the older and seemingly unattainable Izzy, he'll eventually fall for Skye, even though she has a devastating prognosis.

But audiences shouldn't be easily deceived: This is not The Fault in Our Stars or Now Is Good or Me and Earl and the Dying Girl or Me Before You. This is not a weepy romance; it's about how the story's central friendship impacts Calvin and helps him do more with his life. That can be frustrating, since Skye has less agency in the story than Calvin, and lot of her "to die list" goes by in a montage of sweet adventure. One of the best parts of the movie is actually Ken Jeong as a local police officer who, along with his partner, keeps bumping into Skye and Calvin and ends up helping them cross items off her list. While Then Came You isn't a standout entry in the "dying teen" genre, there's just enough heart to make it a serviceable (if sappy) pick.

Movie Details

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